Defence Attorney Not Allowed to Defend Falun Gong Practitioner

2016-10-30

Ms Deng Lijuan is a Falun Gong practitioner in Yushu City, Jilin Province. She was put on trial on September 21st, 2016 by the Dunhua City Court. The trial was held in the Longjing Court of Yanji City. Zhou Jimin was the presiding judge. Wang Cuiling was the court judge. Liang Ersheng was the prosecutor.

Before the trial, Ms. Deng's family was informed that the lawyer from Beijing whom Ms. Deng's family hired for her, was not allowed in the court. When they inquired about this decision, the judge told them the decision came from the 610 Office (an organisation of special agents just for persecuting Falun Gong), and they had nothing to do with it.

The family went to the 610 Office of Dunhua City. They were told that the provincial authority made the decision that no lawyer from Beijing was allowed to be involved in the case.

Ms. Deng didn't see her lawyer at the trial, and asked about it. Judge Wang Cuiling lied to her, “The lawyer withdrew from the case.”

When Ms Deng was asked whether she still practised Falun Gong, Ms. Deng told them, “I used to be a lymphoma patient and was cured through practising Falun Gong.”

Ms. Deng also described how she was tortured during a brutal interrogation by the police. “I was not allowed to sleep. They tied me to the tiger bench and poured cold water on me. They pulled out much of my hair. Later, the newly grown hair was all white.”